George Mason : Reluctant Statesman

By Joan Silber

Book Overview

George Mason of Gunston Hall was a scholarly craftsman of government during America's crucial formative years. His Virginia Declaration of Rights provided a sense of purpose and direction to the rebellious colonies, and his vigorous insistence on the protection of personal liberties in the Constitution is reflected in the document's first ten amendments, the Bill of Rights. Fellow Virginian Thomas Jefferson said of Mason that he "was of the first order of greatness."Few Americans who have served their country, however, have met with as little recognition. Essentially a private person who cared nothing for political prestige, Mason had been overshadowed by the other founders of the Republic -- although most of them had turned to him for advice and direction. In a concise, cogently written biography, a distinguished historian restores the "reluctant statesman" to his proper place in the pantheon of America's greatest citizens. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0030307406
• ISBN13: 9780030307409
• Release Date: January 1961
• Publisher: -
• Length: 123 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.

Customer Reviews

george mason reluctant statesman

the book was very informative and interesting we need more books available about our founding fathers....everyone seems to have forgotten about george washington,,who set us free from britian and made us what we are today...geo. mason is highly recommended...

Someone we all need to know better

In an era when Americans seem to be quickly losing touch with their own history, one of the greatest crimes of all is that the name of George Mason has faded into almost complete obscurity (if there weren't a university named after him in Virginia, how much worse would it be?).In his foreword to this brief book, Dumas Malone, the biographer of Jefferson, notes what a shame this is: 'More than any other single American, except...